


Stacking the Deck

by shanachie



Series: Temptation Fic [3]
Category: dc legends of tomorrow
Genre: Leonard hasn’t changed, Spoilers through all current US aired episodes, Stubborn Snart!, nothing turns out the way they intend EVER
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-01
Updated: 2016-05-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 20:26:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6722119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shanachie/pseuds/shanachie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leonard takes an opportunity to maybe make things a little better for himself in the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stacking the Deck

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dragonydreams](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonydreams/gifts).



> I’m ignoring the writers’ attempt to do math. I mean they had Leonard 5 and then a few weeks later, he would have been born 3 years before that. So I’m making up my own timeline. For this story, it’s 1987 and these are the ages of the younger counterparts _Leonard—17, Lisa—6, and Mick—18_. Thanks to angelskuupio for all her assistance not just with the beta’ing, but with the assistance in talking this out as I wrote it. Major thanks go to angelskuupio for all her work on this. She really stepped up and looked at it multiple times as I attempted to get this to work for me. And even dealt with my brain oops when I forgot to send it to her! The working title for this was 'Saving Lisa'. Thankfully it's got a new one now.
> 
>  **Disclaimer:** No one recognizable belongs to me. Not making any money off this.  
>  **Second Disclaimer** Despite being fanfiction, this is MY work and I do not give anyone or any other site permission to republish this story under my name or any other without my authorization.  
> 

There was nothing that Leonard Snart wanted to see in Central City in the 1980s again. He didn’t have any fond memories of the time and didn’t have any wish to revisit it. Still, they were here and he wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.

“I don’t think you’re gonna convince the boy to take you on another unsanctioned trip,” Mick commented when he and Sara finally tracked Leonard down in the other man’s room.

Leonard paused in his packing. “I wasn’t planning on asking Jefferson to do anything. We’re already in Central City. I just want to go check in on Lisa.”

“She’s what… six this year?” Mick questioned.

“What are you implying, Mick?”

“What would six year old Lisa do to a stranger who comes up to her?”

Leonard smirked. “After she screamed for me or you?” he questioned. “Grab the nearest thing and hit the stranger with it.” Turning back to his bag, he finished stuffing clothes into it. “She was six the first time Lewis hit her.”

“What’s your plan, Snart?” Mick crossed his arms. “You can’t take Lisa away.”

“I don’t intend to take _her_ away,” Leonard corrected.

“Then what are you intending?” Sara asked, speaking for the first time. She’d been content to let Mick talk since she figured he’d have a better chance of dissuading Leonard from whatever he planned.

“I want to see her. And maybe have a… talk with Lewis.”

“I’m pretty sure seventeen year old you might have an objection to that,” Mick commented.

“Frankly, I don’t care. Seventeen year old me can just…” Leonard stopped when he saw Sara’s expression. “I’m not going to kill myself. I’m not suicidal.”

 

 

 

Leonard pulled his leather jacket straight as he got out of the cab that had parked a couple of houses down from the one that used to be his. Behind him, Sara and Mick got out on the other side. Both of them had refused to let Leonard out of their sight after he’d decided to go visit his sister.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Sara commented.

Leonard didn’t respond. For a minute, he just looked at the house as if he could see everything that had happened and would happen just by staring at the building.

“How long ya been outta juvie?” Mick asked after a few minutes.

“What month is it?” Leonard responded.

“You spent that long in juvie?” Sara wanted to know.

“It wasn’t consecutive,” Leonard explained. “That was the second time. The first time was only a couple of months.” He smirked. “The second time was longer.”

“You mean the second time they actually managed to pin something on you,” Mick said.

Leonard growled at that, but didn’t argue.

“What are you planning, Snart?” Sara asked. She had been eying the house he seemed most interested in, but now she turned her attention back to her teammate.

Leonard started at the use of his last name, turning to look at her. “I’m thinking I’ll just have a nice… peaceful… conversation with Lewis.”

“Well, just dropping in during the light of day probably isn’t the best thing,” Mick commented. “Lewis wasn’t the most welcomin’ of people even if he liked ya.”

“And he certainly isn’t going to welcome me with open arms,” Leonard agreed. He nodded. “Fine. Lisa should still be at school.” He reached for the door of the cab, which was still idling as they talked. “Let’s see if we can find her.”

“What are you thinking?” Sara asked.

“No reason Leo and Lisa’s uncle can’t take them out of school when he shows up unexpectedly in town to introduce them to his new bride,” Leonard said with emphasis on his childhood nickname, leaning forward to instruct the cab driver. He was never so glad for the security glass that prevented the driver from hearing their plans as long as they kept their voices low.

“You think teenage you is going to be that trusting?” Sara asked.

“If I have Lisa?” Leonard replied. “Yeah. And Lisa will be easy to convince at six.”

 

 

Leonard was right, six year old Lisa was remarkably easy to con. Mick shook his head when Leonard came walking out of the school less than ten minutes after he walked in, with Lisa perched on one hip, clearly chattering away. Leonard handed Lisa to Sara before he got back into the cab. “You know Leo isn’t going to be that easy,” Mick commented in a low voice as Lisa greeted Sara cheerfully.

Leonard pointed to the two females. “Between Lisa and Sara, we should be good,” he said.

Mick sat back in the seat as Leonard and Sara discussed how they were going to get Leo out of school. At seventeen (with two stints in juvie behind him), he wasn't going to be anywhere near as accommodating as Lisa. "How do ya even know he's gonna be _in_ school?" Mick finally broke in when it seemed like they were just going to keep going around in circles.

Both Sara and Leonard stopped talking at his question; Sara turning to look at the two men over Lisa's head. "You really skipped school that often?" she asked Leonard.

"Are you telling me you went every day?" Mick shot back.

"Well..." Sara looked down at the little girl, who was avidly listening to their conversation now. "Of course I went every day," she said, nodding down at Lisa.

"Lisa?" Leonard nudged the little girl. "Did Leo go to school this morning?"

"Leo took me to school," Lisa answered promptly. "He had a job."

"Lewis?" Sara asked, not wanting to say more in front of Lisa.

Leonard shook his head. "I doubt it."

"No," Mick agreed, "but he might be..." He tapped Lisa’s knee to draw her attention away from the messy braid she was attempting to put into Sara's blonde hair. "Does Leo know Deirdre?"

Lisa nodded enthusiastically. "I like Deirdre. She gives me treats."

"Saints and Sinners," Mick explained at Sara's questioning look, leaning forward to direct the driver.

 

 

 

 

Walking into Saints and Sinners felt like coming home for the criminal partners. It hadn’t changed much in their current time period, things looked a little newer now and some of the people were different, but overall it was the same bar. Right down to the same bartender behind the bar top, a few years younger, a few less miles, but the same Deirdre.

Sara was carrying Lisa since the two men were intimately familiar with the bar and the patrons’ reactions. She also figured she had less of a chance of getting in trouble for bringing the little girl into the bar in the first place. Neither of them had seemed concerned about taking Lisa, and in fact, no one gave them anything beyond a cursory glance when they walked in with her.

Until they made their way towards the pool tables near the back and found the object of their search.

“Oh, you have gotta be kiddin’ me,” Mick groaned when he caught sight of who was bent over a table with Leo. “When I said ‘be better’, kid, this is _not_ what I meant.”

Sara had her hands full with Lisa; as soon as the little girl saw her brother, she’d begun squirming, intent on getting down and heading for her brother so it took her a minute to recognize the second teenager. “Is that _you_?” she demanded in a low voice.

“Eighteen years old and probably think I know everything,” Mick confirmed with another groan. “You seein’ this?” he asked Leonard.

“I have to say, I’m not surprised,” Leonard answered.

Before he could elaborate on that comment, Lisa yelled, “ _Leo_!” drawing the attention of both teenage versions of the time travelers.

The two teenagers turned; Leo picking up a gun from where it lay on the table in front of him and pointing it at the group. His blue eyes narrowed when he saw Sara holding his sister. “Why aren’t you in school?” he asked.

“Uncle Robert and Aunt Sara came to pick me up,” Lisa answered cheerfully. She wiggled again, clearly hoping it would be enough to get Sara to let her go.

“We don’t _have_ an Uncle Robert or an Aunt Sara, Trainwreck,” Leo responded, his patience clearly near the end. “You better not have hurt my sister.”

“Hurting _our_ sister is the last thing on my mind,” Leonard told him. “Why don’t you put that thing down before you hurt yourself?”

Leo studied them for a moment longer before slowly lowering the gun. “How did you get Lisa out of school?” he questioned.

“Said I was your uncle and signed her out,” Leonard answered. “What are you up to, kid?”

A mulish look came over his face. “I don’t see how it’s any of your business.”

“If it’s anyone’s business, it’s mine,” Leonard argued. “What you do affects more than just you.”

“Leonard,” Sara broke in. “Stop arguing with yourself. You’re attracting attention.”

Leonard looked behind him to see that most of the clientele of the bar was watching their interactions. “Let’s move this to somewhere less likely to cause a scene.”

“Why should we trust you?” Leo asked.

“Because I know them,” Young Mick spoke up from where he was leaning on his pool cue and watching the conversation. “They’re good people.”

The three Legends looked at Young Mick sharply, but didn’t have a chance to speak.

“I’m not sure that’s a recommendation,” Leo responded.

“I’m not the one that just got out of juvie,” Young Mick snapped back.

“Boys!” Sara barked. Both teenagers stopped arguing at her sharp tone, giving their complete attention to the blonde assassin. In response, Sara indicated Lisa, who was trembling slightly in her grasp. “Maybe consider what your arguing is doing to her?”

“Lise,” Leo’s voice was soft as he reached towards his sister. Surprisingly the little girl twisted out of his reach and held her arms out to Young Mick. The teenager took her without a word when Sara relinquished her.

The young pyro jerked his head at the hallway to their left, astonishing Sara when Leo followed his designated direction without an argument. Mick and Leonard followed their teenage counterparts, leaving Sara to bring up the rear after a glare at the rest of the bar.

Leo led them to a private room, accepting Lisa from Young Mick once they were inside, and checking her over in what he thought was an unobtrusive manner. “Who are you?” he challenged once he’d set her on the table and watched as she took a cross-legged seat, clearly willing to observe the proceedings from there.

“That’s not nearly as important as why we’re here,” Leonard said.

“Yeah, well, if you don’t want to tell me, then I’ve got things to do,” Leo growled. Sara hid a smile. His voice clearly hadn’t finished changing yet and it wasn’t nearly as impressive or scary as Leonard’s.

“Look, Leo, we can’t tell you exactly who we are, but the last thing we want to do is hurt you or Lisa. Or even Mick,” Sara explained. “In fact, we came here to help you if we can.”

“Nobody helps for nothing,” Leo spat. “What do you want?”

Sara turned away, facing Leonard, before she said something she was going to regret. “You try to reason with yourself,” she told him. “You might have been cute jailbait, but you weren’t _you_ yet.”

While Sara was speaking, Young Mick and Leo had put their heads together. When she turned back around, Mick had Lisa and the little girl was attempting to clamber onto his shoulders. The two teenagers were facing the group with crossed arms. “Mick says we can trust you,” Leo said. “But he won’t tell me why.”

Leonard leaned on the table, glaring at his younger self before turning his attention to the teenage version of his partner. “Did you not take the pill you were offered?”

“Everyone might think I’m dumb, but even I’m not stupid enough to just swallow pills that random people hand me,” Young Mick told him. “Even if they tell me that they’re me.”

“Mick,” Leonard drawled, “is he telling me that you remember everything?”

“Pretty much,” Mick agreed from where he stood against the wall. Lisa had managed to clamber up onto his shoulders and was perched there, grinning at everyone.

“Well, that’s just… peachy,” Leonard drawled.

“What are you two talking about?” Leo asked.

Sara and Leonard exchanged glances, both of them looking back at Mick. The big man nodded. “Come on, Little Bit,” he said to Lisa. “How about we see if Deidre has any chocolate milk for you?”

“I wanna hear what Uncle Robert tells Leo!” Lisa protested.

“Kid, go with…” Young Mick didn’t seem to know how to refer to him older self. “Go on. You know Leo and I’ll tell you what you need to know.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“Go on, Trainwreck,” Leo told her.

Once Mick had left them alone with Leo and Young Mick, Leonard seemed to relax a bit. It was as if he didn’t need to guard himself quite so closely with the little girl gone. “You working on the Eckhouse job?” Leonard asked. When the boy nodded, Leonard said, “Okay. You need to not.”

Leo crossed his arms at that. “And why are you so smart about this?”

“Really?” Leonard questioned. “Think about it. You’ll get there. Or close.”

Leo’s face was mulish as he considered the statement and finally he said, “Clearly you know something I don’t. Somehow.”

“Just listen to him, Leo,” Young Mick said.

Leonard pulled a sheaf of papers out of the inside pocket of his jacket. “These are for you. And Lisa.” He indicated Young Mick. “And Mick. It’s your choice whether you use them or not.” Tossing them down on the table, he crossed his arms over his chest and stared his younger self down.

Leo looked at the papers. “What are these?”

Leonard put his finger on them. “Custody papers. Trust papers. Jobs you can do and. _Not. Get. Caught_.” He tapped them again. “IDs for you, Lisa, Mick. Everything you need to get out of Central City and start over. Or keep going the way you are and do it safely. Or well safer.”

“Custody?” Leo’s blue eyes were drawn to them without his permission. “For Lisa?”

“Legal and notarized. Lewis can’t take her away from you now. He can’t threaten to take her away.” Leonard slid the packet of papers across the table. “You swear to do the best you can and these are yours.”

Leo took the papers, tucking them under his own jacket. “Is that it? That’s all you wanted?”

Sara stepped towards him, but Leo jolted back. “He’s trying to make it better for you.”

“For himself you mean,” Leo corrected.

“One doesn’t negate the other,” Sara pointed out.

“Take the papers. Use them or don’t,” Leonard said. “But protect Lisa.”

“I always protect Lisa,” Leo said.

Leonard pointed at Leo’s jacket. “What you have there will make it easier.” His eyes flicked to Young Mick. “Keep an eye on them.”

“Apparently older me thinks I should ‘be better’,” Young Mick said. He jerked his head at Leo. “He helps with that.”

“I’m not sure which of you that says more about,” Sara commented.

The older and younger Leonards exchanged glances, but before they could say anything, Mick returned with a giggling Lisa. Her mouth was coated with chocolate and she’d somehow smeared some across Mick’s left ear, but the big man didn’t seem bothered by it. “Mick found me chocolate,” she announced.

“I see that, Trainwreck,” Leo said. He reached out for the little girl, who placed a sticky kiss on the top of Mick’s head and then went willingly to her brother.  
  
“Are you Leo all growed up?” she asked Leonard.

“In a manner of speaking,” Leonard agreed.

Lisa looked from him to Leo and then looked between the two Micks. “I like my Leo.”

“Stick with him,” Leonard advised her. “He’ll take good care of you.”

Lisa seemed to consider this for a minute, then asked, “Can I have a new dolly, Leo?”

“I’ll see what I can do, Trainwreck.”

Yawning, Lisa nodded and laid her head down on Leo’s shoulder. “I’m going to take her home,” the teen said. He patted his jacket where the papers were stashed. “I’ll consider your offer.”

Once the teens, and Lisa, had left the room, Leonard looked at the others. “I rarely say this, but I need a drink.”

“Well, we are in a bar,” Sara said.

“And at least if we get in a fight, we know we can pay off the bartender,” Mick agreed.

Sara waved at the door. “Lead the way, boys.”

 

 

 

 

 

“You okay?” Sara asked as she sat down beside Leonard in the cargo hold.

“Yeah. Just. Lisa is one of the bravest and strongest people I know. She had to be to survive what we did. She’ll face down just about anyone; even the biggest, scariest, most badass person and she was my wild child. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. And yet I just held a six year old who was perfectly content to braid your hair and wanted ‘Leo’ to buy her a doll.”

“You didn’t take that away from her, Leonard. If anything, you gave her a better chance.”

“I hope so.”


End file.
